How to Train a Dog to Respond to Voice Commands

This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

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Voice commands allow you to control your dog even when it is out of sight. Your dog's responsiveness to voice commands will help you handle your dog in outdoor situations, increase your neighbors' tolerance of your pet, and even save your animal's life in a dangerous situation. Voice commands can also help a child or a smaller adult control a large dog. Prepare your dog and your household for successful training. Then, follow a few simple steps to help your dog learn to respond to voice commands.

Become a benevolent leader. Your dog needs to recognize you as the alpha, or pack leader, before it will take your training commands seriously. Undertaking leadership exercises with your dog will help it understand that you are in control and deserve its trust and respect. Dogs are naturally pack animals; your dog will be quite willing to cede you authority once it recognizes you as its leader. Try one or more of the following exercises:

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Remember that a happy owner makes for a happy dog. Your mood transfers readily to your dog. If you are tired or agitated, your dog will pick up on these cues. She'll be less likely to obey, and likely become frustrated and tired herself. Wait to hold a training session until you're feeling calm and in a good mood.

Speak at a normal voice volume. Yelling tells your dog that you're tense, upset, or otherwise out of control. These cues fail to inspire confidence or trust. Remember, you need to be the alpha figure in your relationship with your dog. Speaking at a normal volume level helps establish your command of the situation.

Select clear, concise commands. The specific commands you choose are less important than their clarity, although once you've chosen it is important to be consistent.[1] Recognize, however, that using more common commands may help in situations where someone else may need to issue a command for the safety of your dog or those around her. Also make sure your dog understands his or her name. The most common dog commands include:

Keep training sessions short and sweet. Now that you have prepared your household and selected your commands for training, you can begin the work of teaching your dog that "Come!" means "Come!" Set aside time each day for training, but remember that dogs have limited attention spans. Limit training sessions to 15 minutes or less.

Introduce new voice commands one at a time.

Keep expectations realistic. Try working on one component of a behavior. If you want your dog to sit and then stay when you walk away from him, start by training your dog to sit quietly while you remain nearby. Over time you can train him to remain sitting while you walk away.

Start with just a few seconds of compliance and then work up over time. For example, you may work with your dog to "stay" for five seconds over the course of one week and then work on a ten-second "stay" the next. Begin working on a command to "come" by encouraging your dog to travel just a few yards; over time, you can develop her ability to respond over greater distances or around a corner.

Voice commands are essentially habits, and as with establishing any good habit, repetition is essential. Try doing five to 15 repetitions of one behavior before moving on to the next command.[4]

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian

Pippa Elliott, a licensed veterinarian, adds: "It's perfectly fine to lure the dog with a treat to get the desired action. Just be sure to use a voice command at the same time (like "Sit"), and then gradually phase out the lure."

Reward your dog for good behavior. Use positive reinforcement as a training tool to ensure your dog understands when he's responding well to your commands.

Most dogs are highly food-motivated, so food can be an especially attractive reward. Experiment to see what works best for your pet, but keep food rewards small so you can use them repeatedly: a soft piece of food, doggie treat, or small square of cheese. Avoid hard foods that she'll need to break apart; you want to ensure she associates the reward with her behavior, and the process of eating a more complicated food could distract her.

Couple food rewards with verbal rewards. Praise your dog each time she responds well to your voice command.

Consider non-food treats such as a favorite toy, a scratch on the head, or brief playtime (ideally toward the end of a training session).[5]

Over time, reduce the frequency of food rewards. Cut back to three out of four times the dog performs a given behavior, then two out of four, and so on. Be sure to keep selective rewards random, however. Dogs can be quite smart -- you don't want her to figure out she need only comply every other time!

Stick to voice-only commands. Using touch at the same time as you issue a voice command can confuse your dog. Her sense of touch will always been more important than your voice command. Consequently, she'll be less likely to respond to your voice command alone.[7]

Ensure that when you deliver a voice command you can make the dog obey. If you aren't willing to get up and physically make your dog follow your instructions, refrain from issuing a voice command. Otherwise, you'll teach your dog that your command is optional.[8]

Practice voice commands in different environments. Ensure your dog is safe in any training environment before you begin, but practice issuing commands in different places and around distractions such as people and other pets. This way your dog will learn that "come" or "stay" means the same thing in all situations, and not just in the comfort of your backyard or local park.[9]

Capitalize on any opportunity to reinforce good behavior. Keep an eye on your puppy, and as she starts to sit, repeat the command "sit." If she then turns and makes eye contact, deliver a verbal reward such as "good girl." Over time, she'll learn to associate the sound "sit" with sitting down, and realize that if you say that word and she sits she'll receive praise.

It depends on how often you practice with your pup. It can also vary depending on the dog breed. Giving them treats after they successfully do a command as a reward will definitely help them to know that what they are doing is right.

I walk our dog and tell him to sit at intervals along the route. My daughter is now using different word cues. Is that inconsistent and confusing for the dog?

Community Answer

You should always be consistent while training a dog. Because dogs do not speak English, they will not understand that "down" and "lay" are the same command. Make sure that you speak with your daughter about being consistent with the dog, or he may become confused and discouraged in his training, making any future training more difficult.

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

To train your dog to respond to voice commands, make sure you use short, clear commands like, “Sit, “Stay,” and “Down,” to make things as simple as possible for your dog. When you give a command, speak at a normal volume to avoid confusing it. If your dog doesn’t listen to you, you should always get up and physically make it follow your command so it doesn’t get the impression that commands are optional. When your dog does what you want, reward it with praise and treats to reinforce positive behavior. It’s also important to train your dog in different environments so it understands that “Come,” or “Stay” means the same thing anywhere and not just in your back yard.